Hunger Games Survival Skills Self-Evaluation

As I sat in a packed movie theater watching the premier of Catching Fire, the second installment in the Hunger Games series, I started to evaluate my own survival skills—could I be as resourceful (and resilient) as the main characters, Katniss and Peeta? Would I know how to survive off the land? The recent release of Catching Fire on DVD (March 7th, 2014) made me think about how the media portrays emergency preparation. While a lot of things in the Hunger Games are Hollywood-ized, the underlying principles of preparedness can help us fill the gaps in our own emergency plans.

Survival: Resourcefulness at its Finest

For those of you who are Hunger Games fans, I have a question: During tribute (contestant) training, which types of tributes does Katniss always seem to migrate towards, becoming their friends and allies in the arena? Katniss is drawn to people who have practical survival skills: plant identification, logical/mathematical skills, or cunning curiosity and cleverness. Her focus gives us something to think about in our own emergency preparations. While it’s important to know self-defense during an emergency, it’s equally (possibly more) important to know how to survive off the land and how to be resourceful with the minimal supplies you may have.

Hunger-Games-Style Survival Skills Self-Evaluation

Take a moment to evaluate your survival skills based off lessons learned in the Hunger Games. Let’s say you only have one tool to work with. • How would you get food for yourself or others? • Could you cure illnesses or treat wounds using natural remedies? • Do you know how to recognize and forage for edible plants? • Would you know the various uses for plants (treating illness, dressing wounds, eating)? • Would you know how and where to get clean water when there are no fresh sources available? • Would you know how and where to build a shelter for safety and warmth? • Would you know how to build items to help you survive, using just natural resources? (fire, splints, boats or rafts, tools, fish line and fishing hooks)

Evaluate the Skills You Already Have

You might have more survival skills under your belt than you think. For instance, I am really good at Replaceing items around my home and using them to build and create new things. This skill could be transferred to a survival setting and help me create shelters, splints, or fishing hooks. Think about the skills you already have and how those skills could transfer to a survival situation. These skills, though small, may help you and your family survive. You may be surprised by what you already know; then take it one step further and learn new survival skills. You can start beefing up your survival skills by checking out our large selection of survival skills articles under the [“skills”] /blog/tag/skills-2/ category on our blog and [Insight Articles] May the odds be ever in your favor. --Angela